Beads

Object Detail

Beads made from animal bone and teeth were recovered at the Neolithic settlement of Skara Brae, Orkney. 101 have been strung together as they may have been used to form a necklace over 4500 years ago. Personal adornments of this kind may have expressed the wearer’s power, wealth and importance. They may also have had a spiritual significance. Many of the dead were buried with personal objects for the afterlife.